A man has filed a Cialis lawsuit against the makers of the drug, Eli Lilly and Company, alleging his Cialis side effects included the development of melanoma from taking the medication.

Plaintiff Rufus P. files the lawsuit in California federal court. Rufus is a resident of Clermont, Ga. and says he began ingesting the medication on November 2014. He stopped taking the medication in March 2016.

It was on May 6, 2016 that Rufus became diagnosed with melanoma, the lawsuit states. Rufus claims his melanoma was caused by Cialis.

The Cialis side effects lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including negligence; gross negligence; negligence per se; unfair and deceptive trade practices, including unfairness, fraud, and unlawfulness; defective design; failure to warn; failure to test; breach of express warranty; breach of implied warranty; fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment; negligent misrepresentation and concealment; fraud and device; unjust enrichment; punitive damages; among others.

Overview: Cialis Side Effects

Cialis, also known as tadalafil, is a vasodilator prescribed to treat enlarged prostate and erectile dysfunction. The drug may also treat high blood pressure in the lungs known as pulmonary arterial hypertension.

However, several studies have linked Cialis and other vasodilators such as Viagra and Levitra to the development of melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer.

Viagra (sildenafil citrate) became approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 27, 1998. It is a drug that is also prescribed to men to treat erectile dysfunction.

Medications such as Cialis and Viagra work by releasing an enzyme to allow for blood vessels to dilate, allowing blood to flow less restrictively.

Although Viagra has been extensively used and is one of the most popular erectile dysfunction medications to date, there are also several studies linking the drug to the development of melanoma, a severe skin cancer.

In fact, according to Harvard Health Publishing, which is an association with Harvard Medical School, a 2014 study which evaluated men that used medications such as Viagra found that they are “84% more likely to develop melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, over a period of 10 years.”

The study evaluated 29,929 men that never used Viagra over a 10-year period. Of this number, they discovered that 128 developed melanoma. Additionally, of 1,618 men who used Viagra, the study found that 14 developed melanoma.

What is Melanoma?

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is a dangerous form of cancer. The tumors of the cancer stem from the melanocytes, pigment producing cells on the basal layer of the epidermis layer of the skin. Melanomas they state are typically brown or black, but can also be purple, red, pink, blue, or white.

Early diagnosis and treatment can almost always cure melanoma. However, according to the Foundation, if not found till much later, it can advance and spread to other parts of the body allowing it to be very difficult to treat. Untreated melanoma can also lead to death.

The Cialis Side Effects Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-01341 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.